Director of Sales and Marketing - York, North Yorkshire

The Grand York

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Director of Sales and Marketing at The Grand, York. Responsible for the overall positioning of the hotel, brand communications and developing the sales and marketing strategies, the Director of Sales and Marketing will be a natural leader, a creative thinker and be able to demonstrate measurable success.

Marketing and showcasing the hotel on a local, national and international level directly and through brand partners, the Director of Sales and Marketing must work with their teams to turn their strategies into actionable plans, ensuring they are delivered on time and on budget, achieving top line budgeted revenue for the hotel.  

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a dynamic team, including pro-active and re-active sales, understand a segmented business mix and be able to deliver a plan for each. In addition, they will be responsible for pricing strategies for meeting and events, be able to identify and develop key partnerships, have experience of global sales distribution networks and be prepared to travel internationally on a frequent basis.

Further responsibilities include identifying trends and new emerging markets, driving engaging PR campaigns, and ensuring that the hotel is the first choice for key markets. The individual will develop annual sales and marketing budgets, as well as ensuring forecast accuracy through a consistent pipeline of opportunities with a predictable conversion rate. The ideal candidate will be dynamic, organised, detail-oriented and enjoy working in a team environment leading and developing others.

About us

Built in 1906, The Grand is York’s only five-star hotel. Located within York’s city walls and with views of York Minster, the hotel holds an enviable and proud position in the city and local community.

Along with our 207 guest rooms, there’s the award-winning Rise Restaurant, The Rise Bar & Terrace, a state-of-the-art Cookery School, The 1906 Bar & Lounge, our Executive White Rose Lounge, an atmospheric Spa, stunning Meeting and Event spaces and In-Room Dining. Every day is different and memorable at The Grand and we live to create special memories.

Once the famed Headquarters of the North East Railway Company, our magnificent building is bursting with original features and all the grandeur of its former life as the “Palace of Business” – making it a truly beautiful and inspiring place to work and grow.

What we require in the role

• Devise and implement strategies across a variety of market segments and business mix.
• Ensure an understanding of the competitive landscape, local and feeder market dynamics, and changing guest needs to ensure property success.
• Manage agency relationships, principally PR and Digital.
• Develop strategic partnerships to assist with local and national brand awareness.
• Actively work on a creative PR calendar that drives sales and supports brand positioning.
• Take ownership of the sales and marketing budget for planned activities.
• Drive a consistent pipeline of qualified opportunities through you and your team.
• Set departmental targets and objectives, rotas, budgets, policies and procedures.
• Be an active member of the Senior Leadership team, working collaboratively with other functions to the benefit of the hotel.
• Lead a team of sales and marketing professionals leveraging benefit from the team’s diverse skills and experience.
• Promote collaboration with the operational team to enhance the guest experience.

Skillset

• Strong leadership skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Astute financial awareness and business acumen.
• Accountable and resilient.
• A creative mindset.
• Flexibility and the ability to meet the demands of a dynamic and fast paced business.

Experience

• Sales and Marketing experience in the hotel/leisure sector in a similar capacity.
• Knowledge of the luxury hotel.
• Proven experience of delivering new business.
• An understanding of the complexity of different market segments and channels including luxury leisure travel, corporate and MICE plus third-party websites and wholesalers.
• Confidence in building client relations and delivering exceptional customer service.
• Experiencing of leveraging relationships with DMO’s
• Has driven excellent relationships with Brand Partners.
• A good working knowledge of Opera PMS/S&C advantageous

What happens next:

Does this role suit your skillset? Apply now, this takes seconds, you’ll just need to provide some contact details along with a CV.  Next, we’ll review your details, and if successful we’ll invite you to meet one of the team to learn more about you, your experience and let us tell more about the Splendid group.

The Splendid Group is an equal opportunities employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture.